scholarly journals Investigating the cost of offsite construction housing in Western Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monty Sutrisna ◽  
Barry Cooper-Cooke ◽  
Jack Goulding ◽  
Volkan Ezcan
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Public Domain ◽  
Potential Solution ◽  
Residential Housing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Housing Projects ◽  
The Public ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
The Cost

Purpose Offsite construction approaches and methodologies have been proffered a potential solution for controlling “traditional” projects, especially where high levels of complexity and uncertainty exist. Given this, locations such as Western Australia (WA), where there are unique housing provision challenges, offsite construction method was considered a potential solution for not only addressing the complexity/uncertainty challenges but also alleviating the housing shortage. However, whilst acknowledging the benefits of offsite construction, recognition was also noted on perceived barriers to its implementation, primarily relating to cost uncertainty. This recognition is exacerbated by very limited offsite construction cost data and information available in the public domain. In response to this, this paper sims to provide detailed cost analysis of three offsite construction projects in WA. Design/methodology/approach To hold parameters constant and facilitate cross-case comparative analysis, data were collected from three embedded case studies from three residential housing projects in WA. These projects represent the most contemporary implementation of offsite in WA; where two were completed in 2016/2017 and the third project was still ongoing during the data collection of this research. The research methodological approach and accompanying data analysis component engaged a variety of techniques, which was supported by archival study of project data and evidence gathered from the offsite construction provider. Findings Core findings revealed three emerging themes from residential offsite construction projects pertinent to cost. Specifically, the overall cost of delivering residential housing project with offsite construction techniques, the cost variability of offsite construction residential housing projects as impacted by uncertainties and the cash flow of residential offsite construction projects based on the payment term. These three major cost drivers are elucidated in this paper. Originality/value This research presents new cost insights to complement the wider adoption of offsite construction techniques. It presents additional information to address the limited cost data and information of offsite construction projects available in the public domain particularly for residential housing projects (within the bounded context of WA). It also highlights the further stages needed to enhance data validity, cognisant of universal generalisability and repeatability, market maturity and stakeholder supply chains.

scholarly journals Enabling an effective knowledge and information flow between the phases of building construction and facilities management

Facilities ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 151-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeline Zhu Teng Tan ◽  
Atiq Zaman ◽  
Monty Sutrisna
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Information Flow ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Handover Process ◽  
Information Gaps ◽  
Integrated Knowledge

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate ways of transferring knowledge and information during the life-cycle phases of construction projects, particularly between the construction and occupancy phases, and to find an approach to minimise knowledge and information gaps during the handover process. Design/methodology/approach The study applied a qualitative approach involving a literature review and an archival analysis of information flow in the studied cases of a construction project, followed by a cross-cases analysis and expert interviews. Data on information flow were collected from three cases of building construction projects in Perth, Western Australia. In addition, a total of 18 local facilities management experts were interviewed to identify the key reasons of knowledge and information gaps and to propose an effective knowledge flow model. Findings The findings of this study indicated a significant knowledge and information gap, which exists during the handover process in construction projects in Western Australia. The findings of case analysis and expert interviews identified that the project handover guidelines were often ignored in construction projects in Western Australia, and the handover phase was not given the same priority as the design and construction phases by most of the project stakeholders, which led to information and knowledge gaps between the project construction and post-occupancy phases. The study conducted, integrated knowledge and information flow modelling to analyse the knowledge and information gaps followed by mapping the gaps against existing knowledge sharing frameworks (KSFs) before proposing an integrated knowledge sharing conceptual model to improve current practice and to enhance the information flow during the various phases of the construction project life cycle. Research limitations/implications The study is based on three cases in Perth, Western Australia, and thus the findings and recommendations are contextual. Whilst laying a good foundation to do so, further research is needed to investigate more cases in Western Australia and beyond to fully generalise the findings from this study. Originality/value The study contributes to improve the handover process and information flows in project life-cycle phases in Western Australia and develop an information flow model followed by bringing together existing KSFs, namely, the open communication channel (OCC), soft landing framework (SLF) and building information modelling (BIM), to propose an integrated knowledge sharing conceptual model. The methodology used here to analyse the information flow in a diagrammatic manner, the mapping of FM issues against the KSFs’ capabilities and a conceptual model to facilitate change in the industry’s silo mindset are the main contributions of this paper.

scholarly journals Fecal Metagenome Sequences from Lactating Dairy Cows Shedding Escherichia coli O157:H7

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Serajus Salaheen ◽  
Seon Woo Kim ◽  
Jeffrey S. Karns ◽  
Bradd J. Haley ◽  
Jo Ann S. Van Kessel
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Causative Agent ◽  
Public Domain ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Lactating Dairy Cows ◽  
Human Infections

Cattle are primary reservoirs of Escherichia coli O157:H7, a causative agent of severe human infections. To facilitate analyses of the communities in which this pathogen is found, we sequenced the fecal metagenomes of 10 dairy cows shedding E. coli O157:H7 and added them to the public domain.

Housing developers' perceptions of the planning process: a survey of Swedish companies

2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 246-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Olander ◽  
Anne Landin
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Rental Housing ◽  
Housing Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Housing Projects ◽  
The Public ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Municipal Housing

PurposeThe public activity of controlling land use is exerted through the planning process. The purpose of this paper is to examine how housing developers perceive different aspects of the planning process, and if these perceptions might act as a constraint for the development of new housing projects.Design/methodology/approachA survey, based on a questionnaire, has been conducted with housing development companies having at least one project initiated during the period 2001‐2004 and with municipal housing companies with responsibility for providing affordable rental housing. The study focused on the assertions contained in the questionnaire, which were measured statistically with a t‐test, to establish if the respondents agreed with the stated assertions. Additional information was achieved from factual and open questions to the respondents of the survey.FindingsThe study shows that the housing developers do perceive the planning process as a factor of uncertainty in the development of new housing projects. Responsibility for making the planning process less uncertain lies both with planning officials and housing developers. However, housing developers cannot directly affect how the planning process is organised and controlled. Thus, housing developers need to decrease the uncertainty by performing stakeholder and risk analysis before acquisition of land.Originality/valueThe study has found that there is evidence of reasonable concern on the part of housing development companies that should be taken seriously by planning authorities. The findings imply that greater transparency in the process would go hand‐in‐hand with a more consistent approach and thus more certain outcomes.

scholarly journals The Role Of Integration Between Lean Construction Tools In Rationalizing Construction Project Costs

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 5877-5896
Author(s):  
Enas Saad Abdal Aziz , Fayhaa abdullah yaqoob
Keyword(s):  
Lean Manufacturing ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Lean Construction ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Continuous Growth ◽  
Standard Work ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
Value Flow ◽  
Flow Map ◽  
The Cost

The construction industries are distinguished from other industries by a special character in terms of their large size and continuous growth, and the dependence of many industries on them to secure their needs of various facilities, as the construction industry is an industry that produces its main product, construction. Examples of construction projects are buildings and paving roads. Building bridges, establishing schools, hospitals, etc. Most of the construction projects suffer from exceeding the specified time and the secret cost of the project, for several reasons, including the work environment, the country’s conditions, the method of managing the project’s cost, the techniques used in the implementation of the project, and accordingly, the concepts of Lean Manufacturing that help in addressing the causes of waste, in terms of Time and cost, accordingly, this study came to address deviations in the cost or time spent on lean construction techniques and to identify their causes in order to rationalize costs. . In addition to diagnosing waste areas and finding solutions in possible ways through the use of lean construction tools represented in the value flow map, standard work, continuous improvement, and total quality management. To analyze the stages and tasks of any project to reach the sources of waste and try to cancel unnecessary activities and find possible ways to implement them in order to improve the construction work and complete the projects on time and within the planned cost limits, taking into account the maintenance and raising the level of quality.

A novel model for risk management of outsourced construction projects using decision-making methods: a case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amin Mahmoudi ◽  
Mehdi Abbasi ◽  
Xiaopeng Deng ◽  
Muhammad Ikram ◽  
Salman Yeganeh
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Suitable Alternative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
The Cost ◽  
First Time

PurposeSelecting a suitable contract to outsource construction projects is an ongoing concern for project managers and organizational directors. This study aims to propose a comprehensive model to manage the risks of outsourced construction project contracts.Design/methodology/approachTo employ the proposed model, firstly, the types of contracts and risks in the organization should be identified, then, to prioritize the contracts, the identified risks are considered as criteria. After receiving the experts' opinions, the best–worst method (BWM) integrated with grey relation analysis (GRA) method was used to prioritize the contracts. BWM and GRA are multi-criteria decision-making methods with different approaches and applications. In the current study, BWM has been employed to calculate the weights of criteria because it has better performance than other methods such as the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). After calculating the weights of criteria, the GRA method has been utilized for ranking the alternatives.FindingsAccording to the results obtained from the case study, the cost plus award fee contract is the most suitable alternative for outsourcing construction projects. The proposed methodology can be practically applied through different types of the projects such as construction or “engineering, procurement and construction”.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first time a conceptual model has been proposed to select an appropriate contract for construction projects. Also, for the first time, the BWM integrated with GRA method has been used to prioritize project contracts based on the potential risks. The proposed model can contribute to project managers for selecting a suitable contract with the least risk in construction projects.

Defining social value in the public procurement process for works

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandsford Kwame Gidigah ◽  
Kofi Agyekum ◽  
Bernard K. Baiden
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
The Body ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Functional Perspective

PurposeThough the Public Procurement Act of Ghana makes room for specific socio-economic policies (environmental, social, economic and other policies which are intended to promote social and economic impact), there is no explicit definition and provision for social value as an evaluation criterion, culminating in the absence of a definition in the Act. This paper elicits the conception and understanding of social value from stakeholders in the Ghanaian construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a qualitative method that relied on a semi-structured interview of 30 participants purposively drawn from Western, Western North and Central regions of Ghana. An inductive thematic analysis approach, which involved identifying repetitions, exploring similarities and differences, noting linguistic connectors, and a framework were employed to analyse the data.FindingsThe study established no single definition or explanation for social value in the construction industry in Ghana. However, it was revealed from the study that the concept of social value could be defined from the functional perspective of the definer, particularly from the perspective of a Procurement Officer, Works Engineer, and a Quantity Surveyor. A new insight from the study that differs from the body of literature is that participants equated benefits derived from physically constructed projects as social value.Social implicationsThe study has implication for public administration and practice regarding the decision-making process in the construction industry in Ghana. It provides a vital awakening on social value as a criterion in evaluating construction works procurement in Ghana. The ability of participants to equate the benefits derived from executed construction projects as social value creates a new perspective on understanding the meaning of social value in the procurement of works construction.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the state-of-the-art and ongoing discourse on the concept of social value globally. The findings create an important catalyst for social value research in the Ghanaian construction industry.

Investigating the causes preventing the fulfillment of construction contract requirements

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fadi A. Fatayer ◽  
Amjad Z. Issa ◽  
Mohammed Abunemeh ◽  
Mohammed A.M. Dwikat
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Subject Matter Experts ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Road Projects ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Spss Software ◽  
The Cost

PurposeConstruction contractors in Palestine, as in many other developing countries, suffer from many problems. One of their main problems is their inability to meet contractual requirements, such as completing projects within time, at the agreed cost and to the desired quality. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the causes of the non-fulfillment of contractual requirements in three different types of projects: building, road and electro-mechanical projects.Design/methodology/approachTwo methods were adopted to collect the data – qualitative and quantitative. In total, 65 causes were identified from the literature and qualitative semi-structured interviews with professional experts. These causes were classified into five categories: managerial, financial, contractor capabilities, regulations and laws and political. In the quantitative approach, a questionnaire was developed and then distributed to 50 professional experts: 20 building experts, 15 road experts and 15 experts in electro-mechanical projects. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess the importance, from the perspective of the subject matter experts, of the causes that had been identified. About 35 responses, which represent a combined response rate of 70%, were received. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, with the mean, standard deviation and degree of importance for each of the identified causes being determined, and the SPSS software platform used to rank them.FindingsThe results reveal that the most important reasons why contractors did not fulfill their contractual requirements in building projects were that contracts were awarded to the contractor offering the lowest price, and the profit margin was low because of intense competition among contractors. In road projects, the most important causes were the poor estimation of the equipment required and a lack of standardized conditions in the construction sector, while in electro-mechanical projects, the most important causes were the inability of the contractor to estimate the cost of the project accurately because of unclear bid documents and a lack of contractor capital.Originality/valueThe results of this study will be useful to stakeholders and Palestinian contractor unions. They can be disseminated to give guidance so that contractors can avoid these problems in future construction projects and enhance their compliance with contractual requirements. Moreover, knowing about these causes may lead to the reduction of conflicts and disputes between contractual parties (owners and contractors), which in turn will be reflected in the work quality and reputation of contractors.

Evaluating the key risk factors in PPP-procured mass housing projects in Nigeria: a Delphi study of industry experts

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bamidele Temitope Arijeloye ◽  
Isaac Olaniyi Aje ◽  
Ayodeji Emmanuel Oke
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Delphi Study ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Delphi Survey ◽  
Maintenance Cost ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Item Score ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Housing Projects ◽  
Mass Housing

Purpose The purpose of the study is to elicit risk factors that are peculiar to public-private partnership (PPP)-procured mass housing in Nigeria from the expert perspectives in ensuring the success of the scheme thereby reducing housing deficit in the country. Design/methodology/approach The risk inherent in construction projects had been established through literature in general. The risk in PPP projects is emerging because of the recent acceptance of the procurement option by governments all over the globe. The Nigerian Government has also adopted the procurement option in bridging the housing deficit in the country. This study, therefore, conducts a Delphi survey on the probability of risk occurrence peculiar to PPP mass housing projects (MHPs) in Nigeria. Pragmatic research approach through the mixed method of both quantitative and qualitative methods was adopted for this study. The quantitative method adopts the administration of questionnaires through the Delphi survey, whereas the qualitative method used interviews with the respondents. A two-stage Delphi questionnaire was administered to construction practitioners that cut across academics, the public and the private sectors by adopting convenient sampling techniques and following the Delphi principles and procedures. A total of 63 risk factors were submitted to the expert to rank on a Likert scale of 7 and any risk factors that the mean item score (MIS) falls below the grading scale of the five-point benchmark is deemed not necessary a risk factor associated with PPP MHPs and thereby expunged from the second round of the Delphi Survey. The interview was subsequently applied to the respondents to substantiate the risk factors that are peculiar to PPP-procured mass housing in the study area. Findings The findings show that risk factors such as maintenance frequent than expected, life of facility shorter than anticipated and maintenance cost higher than expected fall below 5.0 benchmark with MIS of 4.64 and 4.55 indicating that the risk factors are not peculiar to PPP mass housing in Nigeria. Research limitations/implications The implication for practise of this research is that these risk factors provide the PPP stakeholders with the comprehensive checklists that can aid in developing PPP risk assessment guidelines in the sector though both partners should be aware of the dynamic nature of risk because new ones might be emerging. Originality/value The authors hereby declare that the research findings are a product of a thorough research conducted in the study area and have not to be submitted or published by another person or publisher and due acknowledgement was made where necessary.

Coproduction as a structural transformation of the public sector

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 596-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Meijer
Keyword(s):  
Structural Transformation ◽  
Public Services ◽  
Crime Control ◽  
Public Domain ◽  
Public Governance ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Resources ◽  
The Public ◽  
Social Contracts

Purpose Coproduction fundamentally changes the roles of citizens and governments. The purpose of this paper is to enhance the theoretical understanding of the transformative changes in the structural order of the public domain that result from the coproduction of public services. Design/methodology/approach This paper builds upon both the literature on coproduction of public services, new public governance and on social contracts between citizens and the state to identify the nature, drivers and implications of the transformation. The argument is illustrated with examples from crime control and healthcare. Findings The analysis identified an institutional misfit and highlights four key issues that are key to the understanding of the structural transformation of public services: compensation for time and knowledge resources, responses to new forms of (in)equality, risk of conflicts between citizens and re-organizing accountability. Research limitations/implications The analysis highlights the need for further research into the implications of coproduction for government legitimacy, transfer of power, financial implications, representativeness and consequences for non-coproducing citizens. Originality/value This paper links instrumental debates about the coproduction of public services to fundamental debates about the relations between government and citizens and identifies substantial issues that are raised by this structural transformation in the public domain and that require new responses.

Exploring housing maintenance and vacancy in Western Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Cozens ◽  
Marc Tarca
Keyword(s):  
Western Australia ◽  
Fear Of Crime ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Image Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Photographic Images ◽  
Criminal Opportunities ◽  
Perceptions Of Crime ◽  
A Site

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate “image management” as an important element within the concept to the Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). Globally, guidance tends to focus on promoting surveillance and few studies have explored how vacant poorly maintained housing might affect perceptions of crime and CPTED. Design/methodology/approach – This paper contrasts the perceptions of 168 members of the public and 12 built environment professionals with regards to a detached property in Perth, Western Australia. Using two photographs to elicit responses (one poorly maintained and one well-maintained) respondents were asked about their perceptions of crime, and the extent to which CPTED features were perceived to be present. These results are contrasted with a site audit of the CPTED qualities visible in both images. Findings – The CPTED audit recorded significantly higher scores for the well-maintained property than for the poorly maintained dwelling. Most respondents indicated they felt less safe, perceived more crime and lower levels of CPTED in relation to the poorly maintained house. The findings provide support that there is a link between poorly maintained housing and the perceptions of CPTED, crime and the fear of crime. Originality/value – This innovative study utilised two photographic images of the same property to probe “image management”, perceptions of crime and CPTED qualities. It highlights the need to consider these issues throughout the different stages of the development process and presents idea of the “cradle to the grave” life-cycle of criminal opportunities.

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